That Absent-Minded Anchor Has Been Dumped By ABC News, And People Are Absolutely Outraged
There's already a petition calling on the ABC to put Natasha Exelby back on the air.
This time yesterday, we brought you the delightful footage of ABC anchor Natasha Exelby, whose momentary lapse in concentration over the weekend led to one of the greatest live news bloopers of all time.
Caught on camera daydreaming at the end of a prerecorded segment, Exelby’s shocked reaction as she realised she was back on the air immediately went viral, and has been praised as a funny, relatable moment by internet users far and wide.
This may we’ll be my favourite thing that’s ever happened on TV. Ever. I feel you @NatashaExelby I’ve done exactly this. Solidarity. ???? https://t.co/YPPr0M0BiS
— Marc Fennell (@MarcFennell) April 9, 2017
@ABCmediawatch @UmmRKSZ That was actually really cute and we definitely need more moments like that in TV :)
— Thomas Hercouët (@DrHercouet) April 10, 2017
Unfortunately for Exelby, it appears as though execs at the ABC failed to see the funny side, with The Daily Telegraph reporting that she will not be allowed in front of the camera again in the wake of her very public stuff-up.
As you can imagine, social media users were less than impressed.
Wait did ABC really ban Natasha Exelby for that?! It was the first watchable thing on ABC TV in ages. How ridiculous.
— Sami Shah (@samishah) April 10, 2017
Defund the ABC until Natasha Exelby is returned to air
— Rob Stott (@Rob_Stott) April 10, 2017
If Natasha Exelby wanted to violate news standards and debase the public discourse, she should have waited until she was hosting Q and A.
— David Jackmanson (@djackmanson) April 10, 2017
A number of journalists have come to Exelby’s defence, using the hashtag #putyourbloopersout to reveal their own worst on-air gaffes.
@byrnesh @NatashaExelby I fainted twice and said “fuck” once. To paraphrase @billybragg reading live news is an Accident Waiting To Happen. #putyourbloopersout
— Tracey Spicer (@TraceySpicer) April 10, 2017
I once said “sadly we lost Simon Townsend from Wonder World a few years back” only for people to email me Wikipedia pointing out he’s alive. https://t.co/9cximjLLDQ
— BenFordham (@BenFordham) April 10, 2017
I started eating a Tim Tam live on air during rolling coverage of a leadership spill #putyourbloopersout
— Ashleigh Gillon (@ash_gillon) April 10, 2017
@Kieran_Gilbert@byrnesh I once broke down in childish giggling on Sky News after Tony Abbot said he was “between two stools”.
— Malcolm Farr (@farrm51) April 10, 2017
Even Bill Shorten is weighing in.
It’s live TV. This is just ridiculous.https://t.co/xy6dp7nKwi
— Bill Shorten (@billshortenmp) April 10, 2017
Labor Senator Sam Dastyari, meanwhile, has threatened to raise the issue in Senate Estimates hearings, telling the Sydney Morning Herald that “the idea that someone would be punished for what is a very innocent mishap is extraordinary.”
An ABC spokesperson would not confirm whether or not Exelby has been reprimanded for her error, instead telling the paper that “Natasha Exelby is a casual contributor, not a staff member. She has been booked for occasional on-air shifts when needed, and also does other occasional shifts for the ABC News channel.”
For what it’s worth though, an online petition calling for Exelby to be reinstated has already attracted more than 1,750 signatures.